Getty Angel Reese
Angel Reese’s historic rookie season is over. The Chicago Sky forward announced on Saturday, September 7 that the wrist injury she suffered the night before against the Los Angeles Sparks will cause her to miss the final six games of the 2024 WNBA season.
What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol🥲Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed.…
“What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2,” she wrote in a heartfelt post via her social media channels. “Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.”
Reese is referring to the speculation that her game would not translate from college to the pros. That fear caused her draft stock to drop, but the Sky ultimately picked her up at No. 7 overall. She ended up playing much of the year neck-and-neck with No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark in the Rookie of the Year race, though even before the injury, betting markets showed Clark had moved well ahead.
Reese ends her rookie season averaging a double-double, with 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. Her 26 double-doubles are the second-most in a single season in WNBA history and her 15 in a row set a league record.
She added in her post that she still plans to play for Unrivaled, the new offseason league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier that will tip off in January with 30 WNBA players participating.
Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff, & More Respond to Angel Reese’s Injury
A quick look at the comments under Reese’s announcement on Instagram will show the respect she has garnered from her peers in her first pro season. That includes MVP favorite A’ja Wilson, who replied with two heart emojis.
Reese’s Sky teammate and the 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year with the New York Liberty, Michaela Onyenwere, chimed in as well.
“This is just the beginning for you,” she wrote. “You should be so proud!”
Diamond DeShields (“Love you A!”) and Elizabeth Williams (“League changer. Your future is bright, Angel”) were among Reese’s other teammates who added their support.
Kalani Brown of the Dallas Wings added, “Sending you lots of love & healing energy babes.”
Clark provided her reaction IRL, speaking to reporters before her Indiana Fever’s game on Sunday against the Atlanta Dream.
Clark on rookie-class injuries, and her reaction to Angel Reese’s: “you want to see her finish out this year, obviously she’s had a historic year and she’s done some incredible things… her motor is up there, if not the best in the league… thought she had a tremendous year.”
“It’s definitely sad, any time you see anybody go down with an injury especially anyone you came into this league with,” Clark said. “You want to see her finish out this year, obviously she’s had a historic year and she’s done some incredible things…her motor is up there, if not the best in the league. She just doesn’t stop working.”
The well-wishes extended being the WNBA. Peleton instructor and fitness influencer Jess Sims also commented.
“You’re incredible,” she wrote. “Take your mental and physical break and don’t rush your process. You’re so loved! Until then, we can’t wait for Season 2.”
WTA No. 3 player in the world Coco Gauff offered up her encouragement as well, writing, “so proud of you!!!”
Reese Vows To Be the Sky’s ‘Biggest Cheerleader’
Now unable to play, Reese is almost entirely helpless as she watches her team fight to make the playoffs. So, for the final six games, she will do all she can from the sideline to encourage her teammates.
“You’ll still see me being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline,” she wrote.
Going into play on September 8, seven of the eight playoff teams have secured their spots, led by the projected No. 1 seed Liberty. The Phoenix Mercury currently occupy the 7 seed and will almost certainly not fall lower than that, with the Sky four games behind them and tied with the Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Washington Mystics are only a game off the pace.
The Dallas Wings are still technically alive in the hunt but are three games behind the Sky and Dream, while the Sparks are the only team officially out of the running.
If the Sky are going to make the playoffs without Reese, they’ll have to navigate a final stretch that includes games against each of the teams they are looking to hold off. In fact, their game on September 17 at the Dream could serve as a de facto playoff play-in game.
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Angel Reese Receives Outpouring of Support After Injury Announcement